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Nuclear power is in a period of transformation, and so is the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. On Jan. 23, President Joe Biden appointed NRC Commissioner Christopher Hanson, a Democrat, as the new chairman of the agency. Hanson replaces Kristine Svinicki, a Republican who was designated by President Donald Trump to lead the commission days after his 2017 inauguration, and left Jan. 20, ending a 3-2 Republican majority on the commission.
The shift comes amid a time of significant opportunities for the nuclear power sector, along with considerable challenges, including plants that are still struggling to turn profits in competitive electricity markets, difficulties building new nuclear to replace retiring reactors, and the threat of climate change impacts.